1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to write and read wires on a support, such as a suspension for a magnetic disk drive, having grounded electromagnetic wave shields for reducing cross talk between the write and read wires and for reducing ambient noise pickup and, more particularly, to each of a pair of read wires wrapped in a grounded conductive sheath for reducing the cross talk and the ambient noise pickup and preferably also each of a pair of write wires wrapped in a grounded conductive sheath for still further reducing the cross talk between the write and read wires.
2. Description of the Related Art
The heart of a computer is a magnetic disk drive which includes a magnetic disk, a slider that has read and write heads, a suspension arm and an actuator arm that swings the suspension arm to place the read and write heads over or under selected circular tracks on the disk when the disk is rotating. The suspension arm urges the slider into contact with the surface of the disk or parks the slider on a ramp when the disk is not rotating but, when the disk rotates and the slider is positioned to face the rotating disk, air is swirled by the rotating disk adjacent an air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider causing the slider to ride on an air bearing a slight distance from the surface of the rotating disk. When the slider rides on the air bearing the write and read heads are employed for writing magnetic field signals to and reading magnetic field signals from the rotating disk. The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry that operates according to a computer program to implement the writing and reading functions.
In the magnetic disk drive first and second write wires and first and second read wires typically extend along a major surface of the suspension. The write wires extend from first and second write pads on a slider, which is carried by the suspension, and extend to processing circuitry remote from the suspension. In a like manner, first and second read wires extend from first and second read pads on the slider to the processing circuitry. The read and write wires are typically in close proximity to each other as they extend from the slider to the processing circuitry.
The write wires carry a write current which is applied by the processing circuitry to a write coil in the write head. The write current, which alternates between positive and negative, causes the write coil to induce magnetic fields into first and second pole pieces of the write head. Magnetic moments in the pole pieces are rotated by the alternating fields from the write coil to write the magnetic impressions into the rotating magnetic disk. The processing circuitry also transmits a sense current through the first and second read wires to a very small read sensor in the read head. When the read sensor picks up field signals from the rotating magnetic disk the resistance of the sensor changes which causes corresponding potential changes in the processing circuitry. These potential changes are detected as playback signals. Because of the proximity of the write and read wires an alternating flux about the write wires, due to alternating current in the write wires, is imposed on the read wires which causes an unwanted current therein. This unwanted current, which is referred to as cross talk which may degrade the read head.
A still further problem is the ambient noise picked up by the read wires from electromagnetic waves in the outside environment. These electromagnetic waves may be caused by the operation of various components of the disk drive, such as the actuator and a motor for rotating one or more magnetic disks. These electromagnetic waves reduce the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and increase the bit error rate (BER) in the read circuit.
It should be noted that the higher the frequency of the write circuit or ambient electromagnetic waves the higher the noise spikes within the read circuit. Noise spikes may be very damaging to the sensor in the read head. This is because the sensor is very thin and cannot carry much current without being destroyed.